he chain" Missions was that
of San Juan Bautista. Three days after the commandant of San Francisco
had received his orders to furnish a guard for the founders of Mission
San Jose, the commandant of Monterey received a like order for a guard
for the founders of San Juan Bautista. This consisted of five men and
Corporal Ballesteros. By June 17 this industrious officer had erected a
church, missionary-house, granary, and guard-house, and a week later
Lasuen, with the aid of two priests, duly founded the new Mission. The
site was a good one, and by 1800 crops to the extent of 2700 bushels
were raised. At the same time 516 neophytes were reported--not bad for
two and a half years' work.

In 1798 the gentiles from the mountains twenty-five miles east of San
Juan, the Ansayames, surrounded the Mission by night, but were prevailed
upon to retire. Later some of the neophytes ran away and joined these
hostiles, and then a force was sent to capture the runaways and
administer punishment. In the ensuing fight a chief was killed and
another wounded, and two gentiles brought in to be forcibly educated.
Other rancherias were visited, fifty fugitives arrested, and a few
floggings and many warnings given.

[Illustration: RUINED WALLS AND NEW BELL TOWER, MISSION SAN JUAN
BAUTISTA]

[Illustration: FACHADA OF MISSION SAN JUAN BAUTISTA]

[Illustration: MISSION SAN JUAN BAUTISTA, FROM THE PLAZA]

[Illustration: THE ARCHED CORRIDOR, MISSION SAN JUAN BAUTISTA]

This did not prevent the Ansayames, however, from killing two Mutsunes
at San Benito Creek, burning a house and some wheat-fields, and
seriously threatening the Mission. Moraga was sent against them and
captured eighteen hostiles and the chiefs of the hostile rancherias.

Almost as bad as warlike Indians were the earthquakes of that year,
several in number, which cracked all the adobe walls of the buildings
and compelled everybody--friars and Indians--to sleep out of doors
for safety.

In 1803 the governor ordered the padres of San Juan to remove their
stock from La Brea rancho, which had been granted to Mariano Castro.
They refused on the grounds that the rancho properly belonged to the
Mission and should not have been granted to Castro, and on appeal the
viceroy confirmed their contention.

In June of this year the corner-stone of a new church was laid. Padre
Viader conducted the ceremonies, aided by the resident priests. Don Jose
de la Guerra was the sponsor, and Captain F